Sea Monkeys!

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Michael has been sick since Thursday. Yesterday, being our usual sabbath day of rest anyhow got him to thinking about our tradition of pulling out a craft or activity from the studio on Saturday afternoon. His choice was to grow another batch of troips, or what I used to know as Sea Monkeys, from the backs of comic books as a child. They should be hatching by Monday if they work. I'll post pics. Try not to fall off the edge of your lawn chair in suspense. LOL

I have figured out how to drag and drop pictures in a larger format here, using my Flock browser. I do like this browser, though I've heard that Firefox has an extension that is almost the same. I don't want to try another extension. My computer has about (__) this much room left...

Gardening successes and failures are coming to the forefront.

We started the last herbs we had in seed last week and these little guys are coming up. Aren't these German Chamomiles cute?




I did do a quick deadheading on my one fragrance-free peony by the studio.




Thanks to Tracy at Peaceful Acres We are trying to save a little money by finishing out our potato bins in straw. I'd heard of growing in straw but didn't think of applying it to potato bins. The bins are new to me, so it's an interesting experiment.




Blackberries and grapes are all pruned and tied up.




Flowers on the wild blackberries are white, these Doyle's are very light lavender.








The sunflower cutting garden. We're succession planting.




Not confident in our first pumpkin planting, in which we followed instructions for a 12" high hill in the garden, we dug a spot in a well fertilized area of the pasture and replanted. The stakes are high now in our competition. If we win, the other family has to dress up for the Christmas Ball.




An overview of the garden. Really a slow start this year.




Our first flush of Sugar Snap Peas.




Our second and third plantings.




We put in new melon seed one week ago. They are actually coming up this time. I think our spring was just too cool and moist for them. I'm so glad we are getting melons!




The summer squash are not doing well at all. The weather kept us from planting and I've read that if they stay in the pots too long before transplanting they will bloom far too early for their size. Just like this.




Michael gets 30 minutes a day for computer games. He doesn't use them up sometimes as we are so busy, but he got to use some saved minutes while sick on Saturday.




Where we went outside to enjoy perfect weather and work on our seasonal to-do list.
You can see, the front yard has had nothing done to it. The soil is awful. Some day! :)




Me, sporting that bruise from falling down while chasing the filly.




Seth, the Faithful Doggy.




Our initial lists, to be added to as we find the need. Don't know if you can read them. I'd like to put a list at the side of my blog that I can cross off here, if anyone can tell me how to do that.










Now that my list is done, I'm a lot happier!

Faith

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April 22, 2009 ~ Michael's New Project

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This morning dawned so beautifully. We had strawberries that were left over from strawberry shortcake. So I made crepes for us for breakfast.



I made up this recipe, spur of the moment, and really liked it:

Faith's Bright Morning Crepes

4 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend and pour a small amount quickly into hot, buttered skillet, to about 8" around.
Makes about 6 eight-inch crepes.
Fill with fruit, top with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and more fruit.



We decided to take the older chicks out of the house and put them down in the chicken house. YAY!










Getting a field full of buttercups again.



Our full garden area, turned over and waiting to be tilled.



We have decided to make building a greenhouse by fall a project. If we go at it a little at a time through the spring and summer, we are hoping it will be ready in time to plant fall and winter crops. It will be tough with the money, but if you wait to start until you can afford it, it won't happen. A little at a time will get us there.

First step we've got to dismantle it and set it square and straight, as the ground shifted over the last few years it was put in.



Here are how the hoops are fastened to the base boards.



And the main cross beam that runs down the top center will be held on by these types of clamps.



We took the pipes up, cleaned them, sorted and organized, and now we have a plan. We'll get to dismantling as soon as we can fit in a few hours.

Now up to Michael's New Project. He is so conscientious. He heard me talk about the scrub trees covering the back hill and how out of control they were now. So he decided to go sharpen the ax one day and he left. He didn't tell me what he was going to do. But he came back and said that his plan was to take out 10 or more trees per day until the hill is cleared.

This was his third or fourth day, and I went up with him.



Then it was time to do another project we'd missed getting to for a few weeks. Michael cut up some PVC pipe.



Then we buried it by the pool deck so hold our umbrellas that kept falling over last year.



Sunny umbrellas make you smile.

Faith

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